Rivalry
by Ranowa Hikura
Summary: GaiKaka friendship, NOT romance, light AsuKure. "Besides... We are eternal rivals, Kakashi. For better or for worse."
1. Chapter 1

Yes, it actually is a coincidence that I posted two Tsukuyomi fics within the space of a day. They've both been written for literally months… I only just got around to posting them. Anyway, this took me forever to write. It really did. Because, to add anything to this file at all, I had to be in a very particular sort of mood, a mood of complete desperation and despair, of 'holy shit AP physics test is tomorrow and I don't know anything at all I don't even know what flux is what is this oh god'. Such moods were rare, only occurring with AP physics tests, and only after those horrible tests were over would I get the chance to write instead of study. Maa… but the school year is almost done. Next Monday is my AP Physics exam, and then, I shall be done with physics for the rest of my life. Can. Not. Wait. And so, without further ado…

* * *

"I know you, Hatake Kakashi."

Stab stab. Thrust thrust.

"I know you. That's why."

Pain pain.

"That's why I'm killing you."

It hurts.

"Not because it's torture for you to die."

It hurts a lot.

"Because it's torture for you to die, then come back."

It takes a long time for him to realize that scream is from himself.

"Minato." Stab. "Rin." Stab. "Your mother." Stab. "Your father." Stab. "Obito." Stab stab stab.

"You die. You're with them again. And then I bring you back."

The katana pierces through organs and a rib, all the way, then out his back, another nail pinning him to the wood. Another soon joins it.

"That is torture."

Kakashi is fine with torture, and he's fine with dying, but he can't take dying through torture _and_ being brought back. He can't.

"Do you understand, Kakashi? Do you want me to kill you? Do you miss them?"

Yes. Yes, he misses them. He wants to see them all again and never leave.

"I could kill you. I could kill you and let you stay dead."

Please. Please, that's what he wants. Sensei, Rin, Obito, crushed by a boulder Chidori through the heart soul taken for Konoha

"Do you want me to kill you, Kakashi?"

Yes.

"I won't."

Please.

"Look at your team. What you have done for Sasuke? He's in even more pain now than when he was first assigned to you."

Don't talk about them. Just kill him. Kill him and be done with it.

"What you have done for Sakura? She can't do a thing but watch others fight for her, and all you do is neglect her. She wonders how much better she has to get, even without a sensei who cares enough to notice, before _you _notice her."

Sorry. So sorry sorry sorry stab stab stab.

"What have you done for Naruto? He wants a family, and you don't even mention his father. His mother. He asks you to train him and you tell him no. What would Minato think of what you've done to his son?"

Every nerve in his body is on fire and then it's dark and then he opens his eyes and he's alive again. The pain is gone and he's _alive._

"How many others will you fail?"

Stab stab.

"How many others will die? How many will be waiting for you when it's finally your turn?"

Thrust thrust.

"_How many others?_"

Stab stab stab.

"You think you don't have enough precious people. But the opposite is true, Kakashi."

Thrust thrust thrust.

"You have too many."

The katana pierces his heart, and with a gurgled scream he dies again.

"Kurenai."

Stab.

"Asuma."

Stab.

"Gai."

Stab.

"Your team."

Stab.

"Too many."

Stab stab stab.

"All your precious people are bound to die. Can you take it when they die and you don't?"

Thrust thrust thrust.

"They will die. Every last one of them will die, and it will be your fault."

Scream scream scream.

"Do you want me to kill you? Do you want to go to your family and your team and wait for the others to join you? Do you want to go to where it does not hurt, where there is only peace?"

More darkness.

Then he breathes, and he's alive again.

And being alive hurts.

"Why?"

Kakashi's voice comes out in a ragged whisper and he hangs his head, tears coming to his- not Obito's- eye.

"I want to die."

Now Obito is crying, too.

"Why won't you kill me?"

Itachi's eyes are as red as the demonic sky and his blood as he stabs again, and his pale scream tears his throat raw. The torturer's answer is as cold as the black and scarlet in those accursed eyes.

"You're too pathetic to die. You don't deserve the peace it would bring."

His heart fails again and as his eyes fall shut, he knows he's right.

When he opens his eyes and see sunlight and water and Konoha, it hurts, because he wants to die.

But Itachi is right. He doesn't deserve the peace it would bring.

The water is suddenly a lot closer to his face than before, and then he realizes that he's collapsed. Every single cell in his body is screaming at him, and it feels like he's been set on fire, and he's quite certain that the wounds Itachi gave him in Tsukuyomi were real, because nothing else could hurt this much.

"_Kakashi! _Kakashi, what happened?! Can we open our eyes yet?!"

Kurenai. Asuma.

Obito's eye throbs.

_I know you're trash, Kakashi, but are you so low you won't even speak up to warn them?_

"N- no," he gasps, utilizing what strength he has left to speak. "Don't… not yet."

Itachi speaks, and his voice sounds almost curious. "You endured that much, and yet did not suffer a mental collapse?"

He feels his energy failing, draining, vanishing, and unconsciousness hovers at the edge of his mind. He hangs on, how, he has no idea, but knows he can't just let go yet. He may be a failure, and the people he loves may die because he can't protect them, but he won't let Itachi get to his team. _His _team.

"Why… are you… here? Sasuke?"

"No. We are after Yondaime's legacy."

_Sensei?_ No… it couldn't be… "N- Naruto?"

Itachi and Kisame both stay silent, and no matter how much pain he's in, he can still feel Asuma's and Kurenai's Chakra flare in worry and panic. It's for their sake he stays conscious, because he has no other reason to try and endure.

"…Your organization… the Akatsuki?"

Just the fact that he knows the name shocks the two Akatsuki members. His vision starts to spin but he fights to cling to reality, just for a little while longer. He wonders if this is what dying feels like, and then hopes it is, because he really, really misses them all.

"Kisame. Kakashi is coming with us. Make the other two disappear."

No, no, that wasn't right. He was supposed to be the one to suffer. Why Kurenai? Why Asuma? They were innocent. Their hands weren't covered in blood. They couldn't die. They weren't supposed to die. He tries to stand, to fight, but he lacks the strength to even move. He sees Kisame start to move forward, raising his massive blade, and he can't stop him they're about to die and it wasn't fair he couldn't stop it-

_"Konoha Senpuu!_"

As Kakashi's vision turns black and he falls, he thinks he's never been so relieved in his life to see so much green.

* * *

Rivalry is a peculiar thing, Gai thinks, as he sees Asuma and Kurenai off and locks the door behind them. Peculiar that he's the one they all chose, by unspoken consensus, to stay the night. And it's a little sad that his rival has no one else, that there is truly no one else who would even give a damn what happened, unless he could count Genma and Raidou and the other ANBU he served with, and Gai doesn't.

He's also more than a little mad at his team. Well, one in particular. Naruto has left, left in search of healer who could help his sensei and his friend and Lee, left to find the next Hokage. Sasuke is laid out in the hospital with the same attack that left Kakashi incapacitated. So, while he can't exactly expect either one of them to come, he at least thought Sakura would've shown up once to check on her sensei. But she hasn't.

He knows it's better than years past, when he has no team, and at least there's himself and Asuma and Kurenai to care enough to remain in the waiting room for hours on end when he drags himself back with his organs hanging out of his chest and white bone actually showing, sacrificing every single thing he could for the village. It's still bothersome that Sakura can't be bothered to once make sure Kakashi is okay.

But then, he's not okay. He hadn't woken for over twelve hours, not since Itachi's attack, but the medic squad hadn't found a single thing wrong with him. Gai's never fooled around with genjutsu himself, but Kurenai had said that it wasn't necessarily a cause for worry; that genjutsu put stress on the mind and perhaps he simply needed to rest to heal it.

So Kakashi sleeps on, unmoving and silent, shock of unruly silver hair obscuring the red eye that's caused him more pain than Obito ever could've while he was alive. His mask remains, and his clothes are dry now. Same with his hair, which had previously been heavy with water from the lake and hung down over his face, refusing to stick up in his favored anti-gravity style. It's only now, Gai realizes, that Kakashi probably would breathe easier without the mask in the way, but he doesn't once think of removing it. Kakashi doesn't even take his mask off when he sleeps. That's rule number one of being Kakashi's friend: Don't take his mask off. He doesn't think it's funny.

Oh, sure, he'd laughed it off when Genma and Raidou had succeeded in pulling it down one night at the bar, but he'd left early and when Gai had found him later, the copy ninja had been staring at his father's blade, one grey eye dark and unreadable.

Gai sighs quietly- yes, he can do things quietly- and reclaims his seat on the dresser, leaning back against the wall to watch his rival sleep. Almost thirteen hours now.

Gai raises his head when he feels a hint of displeasure taint Kakashi's restless Chakra, which had felt disturbed and pained ever since he'd found him this afternoon. It was that which had led him to Kakashi in the first place; he'd felt his rival's Chakra, and it had been agonized, and he'd known right then and there that Kakashi was in excruciating pain and needed help. Gai stands, crossing the small, plain bedroom to Kakashi's side and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Kakashi?"

He twitches, and then he's sitting upright almost faster than his eyes could follow, grey eye open, nervous gaze jumping around the room. His hand presses to his middle, as if he's in pain, but the fact that he's sitting upright and awake is an improvement, and Gai will take what he can get. "Hey, take it easy." He reaches forward, trying to coax Kakashi into lying back down, but his rival shrugs him off.

"Asuma? Kurenai?" His voice is rough and tired but Gai can still hear the barely disguised panic lurking beneath the surface. "Are they…"

"Fine. Went home together. You win the bet, rival."

Normally, this would make Kakashi smile and he would laugh knowingly, but Gai is relieved when he only leans back slightly, almost relaxed. However, the reprieve only lasts for a moment. He abruptly sits up straight again, the fear returning to his eye. "Naruto? Itachi said he was after him. And Sasuke! Are they-"

"Fine, too. Naruto's off with Jiraiya. Itachi tried to get to him, but Jiraiya fought them off. They won't be trying again."

"And Sasuke?"

Gai finds it hard to meet Kakashi's gaze for that one. "…Same genjutsu Itachi used on you. He's in the hospital. But if you're awake now, he should be fine."

This did nothing to stop his rival from slumping back against the headboard and hanging his head, hair obscuring his eyes. The scar is thrown into contrast by the dim moonlight for a brief moment before Kakashi raises a hand and clasps it over his eyes, the picture of guilt and self-loathing. Gai pauses, unsure of what to do, as Kakashi groans.

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi mutters something so soft he can't make it out before raising his hand and dragging it through his tangled hair, and then he's looking at Gai with a peculiar expression on his face, one caught between fear and uncertainty. "Tell me Itachi didn't hurt you, too."

Gai's eyes widen. He swallows at the barely noticeable tremble in his rival's voice and holds out a thumbs up, smiling so brightly it hurt. "Of course not, Kakashi! At my arrival, he and the other one fled like the cowardly, traitorous missing nin that they are! With myself, Asuma, and Kurenai before them, their flowers of youth wilted and they-"

"Enough, Gai." Kakashi rubs his head as if he has a headache and closes his eye for a brief moment, letting out a breath. Gai falls silent, watching his rival in concern. The thick silver hair and mask hides his expression all too well, but Kakashi can't hide his Chakra, and Gai can feel his distress, and it worries him. "You got lucky. You got fucking lucky, god damn it. Promise me you won't do that again."

"What?"

"_Promise_ me!" Kakashi's yelling now, abrupt and shocking, and Gai doesn't know what to say. "You _can't_ fight Itachi for me again; you can't, you can't. He could kill you. I don't know why he didn't kill me. But you can't die; you can't die for me, you just can't die, period, Gai-"

"Kakashi-"

"Promise me you won't. Promise me you won't die; everyone else is already dead and you can't-"

"_Kakashi-_"

"I'm not strong enough to protect anyone else, I'm _not_; I always fail at it and I promise I'll try but you have to promise too that you won't-"

Kakashi was babbling now, eye wide and unfocused, and Gai has to grab him by the shoulder to get him to snap out of it. "Hey!" he exclaims, shaking him slightly, because seeing Kakashi like this scares him. "I'm not going to die. I'm right here."

Kakashi stares at him for one long moment, then hangs his head again, his breathing uneven and his one eye closed. "That's what they all said. Rin, then Sensei… they promised they weren't going to die, and then-" He chokes off with a half-cough, half-sob, and shakes his head again. "You can't promise that."

Gai's getting very worried now. Kakashi doesn't talk about his old team often, and for good reason. For him to do so now… "Kakashi, I'm not going to die. I made you a promise years ago that I wouldn't die before you did; what makes you think that I'm going to go back on it now?"

Kakashi's eye widened in recognition at the mention of the promise Gai had made him just a few days after Minato had died. Kakashi, he remembers, was distraught, panicked that there was no one left, and Gai had promised on the spur of the moment that he wouldn't die, too, like all the rest. He hopes bringing it up now will calm him, but it has almost the opposite affect.

"You…" Kakashi trails off into silence before he shakes his head again. "Itachi was right. I wasn't worth his time to kill. He was right. And you… you promised, but, in the end, you'll be like all the others-" Abruptly, Kakashi twists, yanking down his mask and vomiting onto the floor. Gai's eyes widen and he moves up tentatively to rest a hand on his rival's back, completely at a loss for what he should do.

Kakashi heaves up his breakfast before falling heavily on his arm, too exhausted to keep himself upright. By this point, Gai is more than worried; he's scared. Scared, because he's never seen his rival like this before.

A very horrible dread settles itself in Gai's stomach.

"Kakashi, what did Itachi make you see?"

His rival just shakes his head, still panting slightly. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Well, clearly it matters to _you_."

He shrugs. "Maa, I don't remember."

"This isn't funny, Kakashi!"

"I don't remember trying to make a joke."

Gai glares at him for a moment, him and his infuriating indifference, and when Kakashi's eye curves up in a pathetic attempt at a smile, he almost can't take it. "I'm fine now. You-"

"God damn it, Kakashi, you are not _fine!_" Gai flattens him back against the headboard with a firm push, pinning him in place. "You can't be damn near comatose for half the day, wake up in a panic, vomit up your breakfast, and then say you're _fine!_"

Kakashi blinks, and he looks at him oddly for a moment before the Chakra Gai had been so attuned to until now abruptly vanishes. The sudden absence of it almost makes him jump, and then he realizes that Kakashi is merely suppressing his Chakra so Gai has no means of reading his emotions, not when he answers to everything with an eye crinkle and an offhand laugh.

"Kakashi, _what did Itachi make you see._"

"I already told you, I-"

"Rival, you may be a good liar, but I'm not falling for it this time. Whatever he did made you worried I was going to die, and I want to know what it is."

Kakashi's shoulders slump, and he looks away before pushing Gai off and standing. He sways for a moment, unsteady, but by the time Gai has moved closed enough to catch him, he's regained his balance. He turns he's facing the window, away from Gai, and he merely watches helplessly as his rival reaches up under his ANBU top, feeling for wounds that aren't there. Gai is at a loss, but he knows he can't just leave, like it's clear Kakashi wants him to. He can't just leave hime like this; surely there's something he can do.

"You said something about him being right; that you weren't worth his time to kill…?" He figures Kakashi needs prompting, so he starts out with that, but even as he says this, he knows it has a very good chance at backfiring.

Kakashi merely shrugs, still feeling his chest for injuries. "It's… nothing," he begins, then falters. A moment passes in silence, Gai hoping his rival's going to continue. He steps up behind him and rests his hand on his shoulder awkwardly in a silent offer of comfort. "Itachi just knew more than I expected him to. That's all."

Gai frowns.

Kakashi laughs without humor. "I forgot. He was in ANBU. Of course he would know all those things; we read other's files as a social life back then."

"Those things…?"

"He knew you and I were friends," Kakashi says, rather abruptly. "Which is odd, because most people in the village don't even know that, and he hasn't been in Konoha in years."

Gai pauses. He's hesitant to speak, thinking it might dissuade him from saying more, but Kakashi's got him curious. "My name came up?"

"A little."

"…Team Minato?"

"…Yeah."

Gai listens as Kakashi sighs gruffly, the copy ninja tugging on the edge of his mask as if it had slipped down. He doesn't have to ask if Sakumo came up; he can already tell the answer to that one. "What did Itachi have the say about them?"

"Nothing much."

"Really. That's why were you so worried I was going to die, my eternal rival."

"Well, what can I say." Kakashi shrugs and, even though he can't see his rival's face, Gai is sure his eye is crinkled up in a smile. "What kind of a jounin would I be if I didn't get paranoid from time to time? And I've never heard you say the words 'my eternal rival' with so little emotion."

"Your hip responses continue! I would have expected no less from my eternal rival!"

Gai is sure Kakashi smirks. "Better."

"So, rival. What was it we were talking about- ah, yes!" He snaps his fingers. "You being 'paranoid'." He makes dramatic air quotes around the word, though Kakashi doesn't respond in the slightest. "Awful convenient timing, isn't it?"

"Maa, I'm known for my impeccable sense of timing."

"You are not."

They both fall silent save for Kakashi's slightly labored breaths. His hand is still resting over his ribcage, Gai notices, and he doesn't know if he should ask Kakashi about it or not. His silver hair hangs stiff and dull in a most un-Kakashi like fashion, and it reminds Gai how silly and youthful Kakashi looks without his hitai-aite holding his hair back. But his eye always is too world weary and pained in this rare moments when his rival is caught without the headband, barely readable expressions hiding loss and grief and too many friends lost. It was like that even in their childhood. And it really isn't fair that one person has to suffer so much, but Gai's never been one to pity Kakashi, and Kakashi was never one to want it.

He just needed a kick in the ass occasionally, to remind him that not all his friends were dead yet.

"Kakashi."

"Hmm?"

"What did Itachi show you."

Gai doesn't phrase it as a question, but an order, and he hopes Kakashi will take it like one. He watches as his rival takes a few steps closer to the window, his hands in his pockets, gazing out at the full moon as if it has enraptured him. "Many things," he says, at length. "None of them real."

"Doesn't mean they didn't affect you."

"Have you been talking with Kurenai? You're not normally one to admit the strengths of genjutsu. Despite how many times mine have bested your taijutsu."

"My taijutsu has bested your genjutsu just as often, rival."

"True."

It's silent once more, and Gai realizes that Kakashi- again- has avoided the question. It's clear that Kakashi _really_ doesn't way to spell out whatever it was that Itachi did to him, but Gai was never one to give up. "Kakas-"

"I smell smoke. Was Asuma here?"

"You and I both know you can smell whatever your neighbors are having for dinner; you know Asuma was here. Now stop avoiding the question, before I challenge myself to get an answer out of you."

Kakashi shudders. "Please, don't do that."

"Then stop being difficult."

Gai watches carefully, hoping Kakashi will just break and tell him. But it couldn't be that easy. Kakashi wasn't Konoha's second best interrogator for nothing; if Kakashi's kept his mouth shut while the enemy sets his arm on fire- Gai knows, because he was there- then it's doubtful that a little prompting and repetitive questions will get him to talk.

Thus, Gai is extremely surprised when Kakashi begins to talk in a low monotone, his shoulders slumped, his head low. "…I died. More than once. ..It should've killed me; I honestly don't know why it didn't."

"Kurenai said your Chakra flow wasn't just disrupted while you were under, it was stopped completely," Gai ventures once he's overcome the initial shock, both of Kakashi answering and of what he said.

"I thought so. It was the only explanation I could think of." Kakashi heaves a great sigh, still looking out the window as if the sky is the most interesting thing in the world.

"So… Itachi…"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. That. …Maa, I don't know where to begin."

"What happened after he… after you died?"

Kakashi shrugs again. "I came back, obviously."

Gai refuses to rise to the bait. "And then, rival?"

Kakashi's cocky air falters, and the shoulder under his hand quivers slightly. "…I died again."

Gai releases a breath and closes his eyes for a brief moment. He wants to kill Itachi for this. "How many times?"

"I don't know. Didn't keep count." Kakashi pauses, then shakes his head, as if confused. "…He told me you were going to die, too."

Gai clenches his jaw. He wishes he'd hit Itachi with that kick, not shark-man, whatever his name was. "Well, he was lying. I'm not going to. I made you that promise, and I don't break my promises."

"Yeah, I know."

And then, so sudden Gai barely moved to catch him in time, Kakashi falls.

The lanky body settles into his arms barely an inch above the floor, Kakashi's eyes closed, muscles relaxed, head lolling in his arms. "Kakashi?" Gai tries tentatively, roughly shaking him when he doesn't receive a response. "Kakashi! Shit, Kakashi, wake up. _Kakashi!_"


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for reviewing!

* * *

The bland hospital room was entirely still and silent. Asuma, Gai, and the slighted medic all watched on anxiously as the genjutsu master remained motionless, her eyes closed, her hands clasped over Kakashi's Chakra coils.

Kurenai slowly inhaled, dark curls rising with the motion, her closed eyes tightening a bit in worry. She breathed in time with Kakashi, and if this hadn't been the first time Gai had seen her work, he would've been almost mesmerized. When Kurenai was given the task of breaking one out of a genjutsu, she focused everything on the task; so much that she and the other almost, mentally, became one. When Kakashi's breaths hitched a little, so did hers, when he shivered, so did she.

Finally, her crimson eyes opened, expression unreadable. She slowly stood, removing her hands from Kakashi and letting them fall limply by her sides, shaking her head a few times as if to reorient herself. At length, she cleared her throat and took several steps back, absentmindedly smoothing a wrinkle out of her dress. "It's not good."

"Obviously," the medic muttered in a clipped tone, still a bit snide and unhappy that it was Kurenai, a ninja with only the required medical training to be a jounin, who had treated Kakashi, and not himself. "Is that all your little probe told you?"

Asuma and Gai both glared at him. "Let her talk," the former muttered, crossing his arms gruffly.

Kurenai made no acknowledgement of the medic, almost as if she hadn't even heard the interruption. "I'm sorry I didn't catch this before; my main concern was that Kakashi was stable, and, at the time, he was. If I had been paying more attention, then, perhaps-"

"Look, we all get you weren't paying attention, considering the fact that he just up and passed out without-"

This time, Asuma's and Gai's murderous glares were enough to make the man wither and fall silent, his hands slipping meek behind his back and he took a minute step away from the group of ninjas. Kurenai glanced over at him for a brief moment before turning back to Kakashi and the others. "As I was saying. Gai, Asuma- I already told you that, while actually under this Tsukuyomi, Kakashi's Chakra flow ceased entirely. This is unlike a usual genjutsu, where Chakra flow is simply disrupted. The medic squad found his flow to be a bit abnormal, but regular, as did I. But… we weren't putting two and two together."

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head unhappily. "…Imagine Kakashi's Chakra system like a computer. Even you should be able to understand the metaphor, Asuma; it doesn't matter that you're hopeless with them." She smiled gently at him before continuing on. "Itachi's Tsukuyomi is like a virus. Even once the genjutsu is ended- akin to the virus being purged from the computer- the system still has to reboot. The system being Kakashi's Chakra flow. The problem is, it seems like his brain doesn't know what the normal flow is supposed to _be_. Chakra flow is supposed to be as natural as breathing, as walking; his body has never had to restart it before. It doesn't know what to do, and so, basically, it's just started guessing on what the correct flow should be. Which is why, Gai, Kakashi so abruptly regained consciousness, and just as abruptly lost it. His body must've gotten his Chakra flow active and fluid enough for him to wake, but the moment it tried to do something different, that was no longer true, and he was out."

"Hold on." Earlier fears forgotten, the medic stepped back up to Kurenai, gesturing to the unconscious jounin with an erratic flip of his pen. "People's Chakra flow stops all the time. Lightning attacks often jolt start a person's system, when we manage to restart someone's heart here- and what you're describing never happens."

Kurenai nodded swiftly. "That's because Kakashi's heart didn't stop. Only his Chakra flow did. His body kept functioning, and then, suddenly, it has to deal with this mass of Chakra it doesn't know what to do with. It's not like when someone's heart stops. Arguably, this situation is even worse."

The medic pursed his lips and looked away, seeming out of ways to call Kurenai out. The three ninjas remained in their stoic positions, brainstorming ideas to counteract Kakashi's situation. Asuma rolled an unlit cigarette around in his mouth with a longing look towards his lighter, then just shrugged helplessly and looked to Kurenai. He already knew that if anybody would be able to help him, it was her. He didn't know the slightest thing about genjutsu.

Gai frowned deeply. Kurenai's explanation hadn't made complete sense- he was a taijutsu master, after all; he spent no time studying the tricky ways of mind games- but it didn't sound good. He cast another look at both Kakashi and Kurenai and grimaced. Genjutsu made him uncomfortable. It wasn't like ninjutsu or taijutsu; it couldn't be countered by sheer strength and the power of youth… as Kakashi had once told him.

He smiled wryly. It was his first time being under a genjutsu, and Kakashi had been none too gentle, and when the copy ninja had finally released it, it had been with a smirk and a careless, 'What? Can your youth not overcome a little eye game?'

It was ironic that a Sharingan user had been left incapacitated _because_ of a genjutsu. And Gai had never been a fan of irony.

At length, the medic leaned back against the wall at kakashi's head, tapping his pen against his fingers one by one. He looked to Kurenai, appraising her with a critical eye. "Well, if all his problems are because his heart didn't stop with his Chakra, why not stop his heart? His Chakra would stop with it, and then, when we restarted his heart, shouldn't all the problems go away?"

"No. Too risky. There's no guarantee his flow would return to normal after already being abnormal for so long… in fact, there's a slim chance that you wouldn't even be able to restart his heart."

The medic glowered, flustered. He scratched at his short brown hair and glanced back at the patient before just shaking his head. "Well, listen, I've been doing this for four years, and I think there's a damn good chance it would work. And you're not his doctor; I am. Unless you can-"

"You'd need Kakashi's consent to do such a risky procedure, right?" Asuma countered, swiftly intervening with an angry look in his eye. "And, with his Chakra flow as abnormal as it is, even when he's conscious, he may not be in his right mind. You won't be getting a signature from him."

The medic shrugged, unconcerned. "Fine, I'll just get it from his relatives-"

"All dead."

"-power of attorney-"

"Doesn't have one." At the medic's growing anger, Asuma just shrugged, unconcerned. 'In situations where a ninja is unable to make a medical decision for his or herself, there is no family available, and there is no power of the attorney, the decision goes to the Hokage. And, we are currently without a Hokage."

"Then I'll just take it the council."

Kurenai smiled slightly, catching on. "Actually, they technically don't have the authority to give you permission. The procedures for what to do if the village was without a Hokage were never set up for a situation like Kakashi's."

"Give it up. Kakashi's one of the village's best, and he's stable. Plus, Jiraiya's out looking for Tsunade. The council will never let you risk his life, not knowing that the best healer in all the Five Great Nations is on her way here."

The poor man looked positively furious at the fact that he'd been outmaneuvered. He glared between the three jounin, seeming on the verge of tearing his hair out, then just threw his hands up into the air with a heavy groan. "Fine, for god's sakes. He's not my problem, anyway."

"Thank you," Kurenai said with a slight bow. "I apologize for our protectiveness, doctor-san, but Kakashi is our friend and-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, jounin-san." He bowed stiffly as well, and then, as a final jab to tell them his ego was still more than a bit bruised, he said as he left, "Visiting hours are over, by the way. All three of you, out."

Kurenai easily complied, with Asuma following her example, but Gai lingered behind. He glanced down at his rial nervously, but he looked as if he were merely asleep. Not that his Chakra was forcing him unconscious. After Kurenai's worrisome explanation, he couldn't help but worry. After all, Kakashi may have been the last master of the Sharingan left in all of the Hidden Villages, but Itachi was undoubtedly the strongest Sharingan user in the world. And it would be _just like_ the sadistic Uchiha to release Kakashi from the genjutsu, make them all think he was fine, only to then realize that the technique had had some lasting effect and that Kakashi was going to die from it.

Gai shuddered and shook the thought of in the same moment, swallowing back a wave of emotion. While that was just like Itachi, it was also just like Kakashi to scare the hell out of them all, make them worry themselves to death, and then pop up with a warm eye crinkle and show himself to be perfectly fine. "There is no reason to worry!" he announced aloud, attracting the surprised medic's attention. "My rival is caught up in the springtime of his youth; his gloriously passionate energy will never be taken over by Uchuha Itachi's traitorous, treacherous, terrorizing genjutsu, for such dark things are nothing when compared to the power of youth!"

The medic looked like he'd just been hit across the face.

A few long, awkward moments passed in silence, and then he finally spoke.

"Jounin-san, what the hell are you talking about?"

* * *

It was four days before Kakashi woke again.

Kurenai had insisted that it was nothing to worry about, that while his body hopped from option to option with his Chakra flow, finding one that would result in him being conscious was only a fifty fifty chance, at best. But the moment his rival sighed, mismatched eyes slowly, sleepily opening to blink at the ceiling, Gai could've jumped for joy.

"Rival!" he had exclaimed gleefully, drawing Kakashi's attention to him. "You have finally arisen from the seemingly endless sleep of recuperation! This is a wondrous development! Tell me, how is your youthful energy? Has it refilled to the brim of its capacity to the fullest potential of your youthful flower?"

Kakashi had blinked, then reached up, and poked him in the stomach.

"Big, bouncing, green dot. It's a big, bouncing, green dot. Ha!"

* * *

This was how it came about that Kurenai was analyzing Kakashi's Chakra flow again, with the silver haired jounin amusing himself with pulling and stretching on Gai's green spandex, a gleeful smile stretching the fabric of his mask. He giggled occasionally, which was almost certainly cause for alarm. He took one look at Asuma and the jounin moved back as if he were an S-class missing nin, seeing no reason to subject himself to the man's whims when he clearly wasn't in his right mind.

When Kurenai opened her eyes and stood, it was obvious she was fighting a smile. She cleared her throat amidst Gai's and Asuma's worried looks while Kakashi's attention was diverted to her, and he reached out and snagged her hand. "Are you done playing with me? I want something else to play with!"

Kurenai gently removed her hand from Kakashi's and stepped back to stand beside Asuma, no longer able to resist the urge to grin.

"Well?!" Gai exclaimed impatiently. "What's wrong with him?!"

"…Gai, have you ever been with Kakashi while he's on morphine before?"

* * *

Asuma yelped in surprise when he was abruptly met with an armful of Kakashi, the silver haired jounin throwing himself forward into his unsuspecting arms. He stared at Gai in shock before looking down at the man leaning against his chest, eyes wide. "Kakashi?!"

"Like a teddy bear. A big, cuddly, oversized… teddy bear. Ha! I'll name you… I'll name you… Bear!"

Kurenai had to actually clap her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Ha! You… you said you were no f-f-fun, but you are! You and the big bouncing green dot are a lot of fun!" Kakashi flopped back onto his bed with another broad smile, laughing breathlessly, then flung an erratic arm out to point at Kurenai. "What about you? Are you a lot of fun, too? Hey! You, too- that rhymes! Hey, hey, Bear, I made a rhyme!"

Asuma stared, aghast. He managed to cough gruffly and scratch the back of his head, nodding awkwardly. "Uh… yeah. That's, um… nice, Kakashi."

Once Kakashi was fully busy with Gai's spandex again, Asuma glanced over his shoulder to throw a dark look at Kurenai, who was trembling with suppressed laughter. "You lied. This is not what he's like when he's on morphine. Not at _all!_"

She shrugged innocently. "His Chakra flow is a bit… overexcited right now. He's the definition of loopy. Don't hold it against him."

"I' not going to _hold it against him,_ it's just that-"

"Hey, guys, guys, I just got an idea. I just got a brilliant idea! Guys, guys, guys!"

Asuma turned slowly to look at Kakashi, who was sitting upright excitedly, his hands clasped together, his eyes wide in earnest. He was hesitant to find out what this so-called brilliant idea was, but Gai shared none of his qualms. "Yes, rival?!" he asked urgently. "What is it? What is your no doubt youthful idea? I am sure it lives up to the Springtime of your Youth and in the never-ending flower blossoms of our eternal rivalry!"

Kakashi blinked, then just looked back at Asuma. "Green, bouncing, big dot is weeeeeird, Bear. But anyway, there are these two people, whats-it-called…. Asuma and Kurenai! Yeah, that's right, that's right. And Gai and I have this bet going on. He's convinced they're just friends; I think they're doing a bit more with their youthful energy."

"Um, rival, stop-"

"But I have a secret. I'm cheating." Kakashi giggled and tapped his nose, his eyes wide with glee, even as Asuma and Kurenai both turned to level twin glares at Gai. "See, see, cause I'm special. I can smell things really good. So, whenever Asuma and Kurenai, you know, have sex, I can _smell_ it!" He gave a triumphant chuckle, utterly oblivious to the fact the temperature in the room must've just dropped ten degrees. Instead of Gai being uncomfortable, Kurenai's cheek were suddenly tinged with pink and she was unable to look off up from the floor, whereas Asuma's face had gone a peculiar shade of purple and now grasped the plastic armrest so hard there was an audible crack.

"And so, I was thinking, Bear, that… hey! That smell! I can smell it right now!"

If possible, Kurenai's face grew even redder while Asuma's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Gai stuttered and stumbled back, looking between their two friends in shock while Kakashi continued on happily. "Green dude, it's coming from Bear and that other lady. I think they just had sex."

"Oh dear Kami…" Kurenai hid her flaming red cheeks from view by buying her head in her hands while Asuma was staring at the copy ninja like he wanted to strangle him.

And Gai knew just what to do to dispel the awkwardness from the situation.

With a sweeping thumbs up, tears of fervent admiration streaming down his cheeks, he whirled to face Asuma and Kurenai. "Congratulations on the consummation of the burning passions of your youth and never ending flowers of your love! This is nothing to be ashamed of! It is a natural process of the young and the youthful when caught up in the glorious springtime of youth! Oh, it is most shameful for me to have bet against the most youthful of consummations, but it is merely another point for my rival in our eternal rivalry! My most unending and passionate congratulations to the both of you!"

Gai, for the life of him, would never understand why that made the silence even more awkward.

* * *

Kakashi's relatively short attention span was probably the only reason he had forgotten what it felt like to nearly be strangled by a pillow. It was only five minutes after the couple's embarrassed exit that the copy ninja had moved on to something else, much to Gai's relief.

"Hey, Gai. I want to tell you something."

"Yes, Kakashi?" he asked warily. His rival's eyes were still unfocused and he was still smiling widely, a bit unaware of his surroundings. The last time he had spoken, it had been to ask why a giant green frog was in his room.

Kakashi laughed sleepily again and looked over at him, his red Sharingan now shut. "I challenge you to outlive me."

Gai stiffened. This again?

Just what the hell had Itachi made him see in Tsukuyomi?

"Kakashi, listen-"

"No, no, let me talk, Gai. Let me… let me talk. Promises break all the time. But challenges are different! Our contests are so close; it's so close, Gai. A split second in a footrace, in holding our breath; one move away in shogi, one more bite of sushi in that sushi-eating contest. So, see? Even if you lose the challenge and die, I'll _definitely_ die right after you. As long as it's a challenge." He grinned confidently. "See? Win win. And, we're tied now, so whoever dies last wins the rivalry. Ha, I said win three times. Ooh, four!"

Gai shifted uneasily. He didn't like the turn this discussion had taken. Kakashi was always the man to go to for a wealth of morbid topics, yes, but the way he spoke so easily about dying, even when he wasn't in his right mind… "Why don't we talk about this some other time."

"You don't understand!" Kakashi complained, unnecessarily flustered. He sighed loudly and rubbed his hand over his eyes, the movement causing a spike of his thick hair to flop haphazardly over his face. "So misunderstood. We can't put this off, Gai. Too important."

Gai opted to remain silent, watching as Kakashi distressed silently, mulling over whatever things had been troubling him since his ordeal with Tsukuyomi. He knew full well Kakashi had always been worried- more worried than most- of losing the only people left that meant anything at all to him. But this was a fear he didn't voice, didn't reveal, never admitting once that it existed. He wanted to wait until Kakashi was in his right mind, at least, before he made any such challenges or promises; until he knew why Kakashi was so suddenly, so terrified of what might happen to him.

"Gai!" he pleaded, voice still slurred, eye still unfocused. "Gai, you have to do this for me. If you don't-"

"Rival, we'll talk about this later."

Kakashi stared at him, very clearly frustrated, and Gai couldn't help but feel the slightest bit relieved when Kakashi abruptly passed out once again.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reviewing!

* * *

"It's their fault."

"I never said I had any complaints, rival-"

"'We've been doing therapy to make sure your muscles don't atrophy, Kakashi-san', oh, give me a break. After all this 'therapy' I've supposedly been getting, I'd expect to not want to die just because it hurts so much to move-"

"Rival-"

"And then, there's this dammed jutsu, and I can't sit still for a second, and will you quit moving, Gai, you're making it harder-"

"Rival!"

"And now I'm about to-"

"_Rival!_ Pardon me for intruding upon my area of expertise, but you're supposed to talk less, and breathe more, when you're training?"

Kakashi hmphed and continued his exercise with renewed vigor.

It had honestly been Kakashi's idea to do push ups, and his idea again to do them with Gai sitting on his back. Gai just hadn't said no- no matter the fact that everyone else was convinced it was the other way around. Gai was just pleased and touched by Kakashi's sudden absorption in training and wasn't about to decline his youthful request that he aid Kakashi in his exercise.

Kakashi had regained consciousness after a week of stillness about half an hour previously. Kurenai had been immediately called for, though Gai hadn't been very worried- Kakashi had seemed far more lucid than the last time he had woken, just restless. He'd kept fidgeting and while Gai knew full well that his rival was incapable of molding Chakra right now, Gai could've sworn he'd seen lightening spark on his gloveless hands a few times before the genjutsu user had arrived.

She had confirmed it- his Chakra flow was ridiculously fast. Like he'd just taken a soldier pill or a shot of adrenaline. After remaining stationary and sedentary for over a week, Kakashi had just abruptly opened his eye, sat upright, and started talking. Gai had to admit, it was a nice change, but after sitting on Kakashi's back and watching him babble away and push himself up over and over again for the past half hour, he had to wonder how he wasn't getting tired out- restless Chakra flow or not.

"Rival!" he announced grandly on Kakashi's three hundredth push up. "Your stamina is admirable! But you mustn't push yourself! After all, you have been-"

"Never thought the day would come when you'd be telling me _not_ to train, Gai," Kakahsi huffed. His words were breathless and rushed yet determined, and Gai would've been content to let Kakashi train until he either tired himself out or passed out, whichever happened first, but someone else decided to intervene.

"Wha… but… K-Kakashi-san!" a nervous nurse stuttered from the doorway, and Gai glanced over his shoulder to see a nurse standing in the room, stunned. Kakashi didn't even slow. "What are you doing?!"

"Training."

Gai grinned at his rival's characteristically unhelpful answer. "Kakashi, my eternal rival, is training in an attempt to restore his youth and work off the excess energy left behind by the treacherous genjutsu of-"

"That's classified, Gai."

Gai jolted at Kakashi's grunt, and quickly amended his statement with a blinding grin. "Oh! Of course! What I mean is simply that my rival is rebuilding his passion for youth! _For youth!_"

The nurse blinked.

After a moment passed with nothing but Kakashi's heavy breaths to break the silence, she shook her head, as if disorientated, and moved forward with her hands planted on her hips. "I don't care about his youth, or whatever it is you're going on about. Kakashi-san, how long have you been doing this?!"

Kakashi didn't even try to answer, so Gai did for him. "My eternal rival has been training for over half an hour now! An impressive display of the bottomless reservoirs of his youth-"

"Half an hour?! Kakashi-san, stop this right now!" The nurse moved forward and tried to move Gai off of him, but Kakashi paid her no heed. "Your body can't take this! You could pull something, you could tear a-"

"Gai told me you've been giving me muscular therapy, so I should be fine, right?"

Flustered, the nurse pulled even harder at Gai, trying in vain to her patient. "Absolutely not! You're in no shape to be doing this!"

Kakashi finally began to slow, easing his rapid fire pace to a more leisurely one and finally lowering himself to the ground, sweating profusely. His chest was still heaving, though Gai wasn't sure whether that had to do with the exertion or if the fact that his Chakra was still going so fast he couldn't sit still. He was especially sure it was the latter when Kakashi almost immediately began to swiftly pace the length of the room, completely ignoring the nurse's exasperated look.

"Kakashi-san! Get back in bed right now!"

Kurenai cleared her throat from where she stood in the corner, mostly unnoticed, and moved forward to gesture at Kakashi apologetically. "Surely, you've been informed of Kakashi's… sensitive situation. His Chakra flow is much too fast right now; it's like he took a shot of adrenaline."

"I'm in the room; no need to talk about me like I can't hear you," Kakashi snapped, whipping around once he reached the wall and continuing at his fast clip.

The nurse shot him a look before turning back to Kurenai. "And I understand that, but he really can't be up like this. His muscles aren't strong enough."

"Feel fine to me."

"With all due respect, Kakashi-san, you're in no position to-"

"If I end up falling on my ass and proving you wrong, then I'll do whatever you want. How's that for a deal?"

Kurenai grimaced at Kakashi's sour tone. "I… apologize for him. He's a bit irritable right now, with his Chakra like it is."

"I'm twenty six, Kurenai, not six. No need to talk about me like I'm a child."

She shrugged helplessly and offered another apologetic smile at the nurse, who took one more look at her petulant patient before throwing her hands up in the air and exiting with a huff.

"Em, look, Kakashi," Kurenai began awkwardly. "She really was right, you know. I know that your Chakra's a bit wild right now, but your hold do your best to settle down."

Kakashi rolled his eye, aggravated. "And here I was, thinking you were on my side."

With a small, rueful smile, Kurenai turned and walked towards the door. "I give up. That, and I have a meeting with my team soon. Gai, see if you can't get him to calm down. …In retrospect, it's a bad idea to ask that from you. Just catch him when he passes out."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, still pacing, when Kurenai left and shut the door behind her. "Well, Gai? What about it? You going to try and 'calm me down'?"

"I know better than that, my rival."

Kakashi changed direction in his rapid pacing once more, but this time stopped abruptly by Gai's side. "We gotta talk, Gai, gotta talk gotta talk gotta talk about this." His fists hammered out a quick pattern between the words, lightly hitting Gai's shoulders so fast they were almost a blur. Gai stared at him in surprise as his rival paused for a moment, then turned around again, now tapping his own leg at such a fast clip he could barely see his hands.

"Rival, maybe you should calm down a bit-"

"Can't, can't do that," he panted. "Okay, you, you accepted my challenge, right? You're not going to die?"

Gai frowned. "About that, Kakashi-"

"Because you can't. Ever. Itachi, he's too strong, and maybe you can fight me but I'm not trying to kill you and I can't use my Mangekyou and I don't even have it in both _eyes_, for god's sakes, Gai, don't fight him. He'll either kill you or do what he did to me to you, and I can't let you-"

"Kakashi, _what_ did he do to you?! You never told me! You never told me, rival, what he did that's made you so worried that I'll die!"

Kakashi just shook his head and twisted to stop in front of him, holding him by the shoulder and almost panicked gaze boring into his own. "Gai, you can't protect me. You can't ever go against Itachi or anyone else for me. Okay? Say that you won't."

Gai shrugged Kakashi's hand off in anger. "I won't say any such thing."

With a cry of frustration, Kakashi and turned and started pacing again. "No, Gai. You have to. Why are you being stubborn? You have to, you can't- oh, god, I can't let it happen to you, too, Gai. No one else, not ever again, not-"

Gai watched as Kakashi's rambling spiraled into incoherent babble, now unable to get a word in edgewise. He knew that he had to calm Kakashi down, but he had honestly no idea how. Kakashi wasn't an elite jounin for nothing; his instincts _were_ his Chakra flow. If it was panicked and fast, so was he. And Kakashi had never been one to listen to doctor's advice.

Still, he tried, just saying what came to mind and hoping it would help.

"Kakashi, come on, we can't talk when you're like this."

"Not my fault." Kakashi's breaths were short and quick and he turned around once again with a shrug. "Kurenai says it's not my fault that-"

"I didn't say that it was your _fault_, rival, but we still can't talk like this!"

"…Then either find a way to calm me down, or just promise me and be done with it."

It was rather obvious which option Kakahsi wanted him to take, but Gai wasn't planning on doing any such thing. "Hmm, hmm, how to calm you down. What do you like that would calm you down? Hmm…"

Kakashi groaned loudly. "I'd love some porn. That would be nice. But I think you missed the day in school when they taught you how to calm an angry Copy Ninja down. Here's the rundown- unless you have some Icha Icha on hand, your efforts will be fruitless."

"Now, don't say that, my eternal rival! I'm sure I can think of something!"

"I'd rather you not."

Gai rolled his eyes, reaching out to catch his rival as he moved past him again, managing to stop him in his frantic pacing. "Oi, Kakashi."

"_What_, Gai?!"

"Ah… damn, this is hard. Let's see, hmm, hmm… Oh! Yes! Rival, do you remember when we were sent to Suna for peace talks?"

Kakashi shrugged. "So? What about it?"

Gai smiled, thinking back to the mission before waving his hand energetically. "I ran there so fast you were afraid I was going to get heatstroke!"

"No, you ran there so fast you _got_ heatstroke," he corrected. "And, again, so? What does it matter?"

"We ended up being stranded in the middle of a sandstorm!" Gai laughed boisterously and flashed a thumbs up, much to Kakashi's annoyance. "Normally, such a natural phenomenon would be nothing when pitted against the powers of youth, but I was ill from overexertion and unable to do go on! Thus, we were stranded, but you were tasked with keeping me calm until the storm lifted and we could reach Suna."

"It was nothing."

"No, no!" Gai insisted. "I was ill and delusional- and later informed that you had to talk me out of running straight into the storm! If you were able to calm me down in such conditions, rival, then surely I am able to calm _you_ down now! You will not out do me!"

"Gai, really-"

Gai shook his head vigorously, on a roll now. "Come on, now, Kakashi! I know I can do this! Now, what was it you did to calm me down? What was it… it was so youthful it drove me to tears, I remember that, but what-"

"I told you you were out of your dammed mind for thinking it was a good idea to run so fast in the godforsaken desert."

"No, no, after that!"

Kakashi rolled his eye. " I think you asked me how we first met. And you were driving me insane, so I answered."

Gai pounced on that eagerly. "Yes, yes! I shall try that!"

"Honestly, Gai-"

"It was August third, 57 years after the founding, and I was on a search for the genius prodigy child known as Hatake Kakashi! My sensei had told me of a genius child, of the child of the White Fang- a chuunin before I had even graduated! You, a product of genius, innate skill, and myself, a product of hard work!"

Kakashi sighed heavily, moving a bit slower so he could talk. "There is no such thing as 'innate skill'. I trained, same as you. I simply trained from a younger age, with better teachers than you had."

Gai raised a finger with a knowing smile. "Ah, but you possessed the Hatake white Chakra! And what about Neji, with his Byakugan, or Sasuke, with his Sharingan? Is that not innate skill?"

"No. Those three examples you listed; Sasuke has trained with unbelievable purpose and fervor. It is the same with Neji. The word 'genius' was just coined by some upset Academy teachers when they realized that their four year old, pre-genin students were more skilled than they were. And you know that, Gai."

Gai shrugged slightly. "Perhaps. But you can't deny that some have to train harder than others. My precious Lee must train doubly hard to even catch up with Neji."

"Maa, special circumstances."

"Me and you, then? You can not deny that a taijutsu master takes much more training than a ninjutsu master does- _especially_ with your Sharingan!"

Kakashi frowned at that. He slowed down to a more leisurely pace, one hand in the pocket of his uniform pants. "Hmm… perhaps. But my Sharingan isn't a trait I was born with, you know."

It was Gai's turn to shrug. "Semantics, my rival- semantics!"

"…I suppose you're right."

Gai beamed, then clapped his hands together in sudden urgency. "_Oh!_ I forgot my task! _Right!_ I was explaining the youthful circumstances of our first meeting! _And so_, determined to find a challenge of a youthful battle of genius versus hard work, I sought out the child prodigy Kakashi! And, to my surprise, I discovered you sitting upon a bench, studying and training even in your moment of rest!"

Kakashi resisted the urge to laugh. That had certainly not been a book of anything educational. It had just been an Icha Icha novel disguised as a book of jutsu by Jiraiya so he could read it around Minato without having it confiscated. But, there was no reason for Gai to know that. Already, the man was weeping at the thought of such dedication to training. And the compliments were raining down, and, like any man, Kakashi quite enjoyed compliments.

"…And then, I challenged you, my ever youthful eternal rival, to our very first test of skill! But, alas, you refused! You nearly shattered my heart, but I persevered!"

"Yes, you did," Kakashi murmured with a shudder. "That was the day I learned what a stalker was."

Gai smiled a sparkly grin. "Yes, but aren't you glad?! If I had not pushed, we would not be eternal rivals today! Aah, the thought of life without you, my rival, Kakashi! It is almost too horrible to imagine!"

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably, but Gai was wiping away at his manly tears and totally absorbed in continuing the story of their first meeting. His pacing began to slow even further as the tale continued, Gai waxing eloquent about their first simple challenges of kunai or shuriken throwing, and Kakashi found himself zoning out. It wasn't hard to do; it was Gai's overly dramatic speeches about youth and flowers and springtime that had first taught him the ever valuable skill of sleeping with his eyes open. But it wasn't until Gai had been going on for at least ten minutes before Kakashi finally realized that he was fully relaxed and calm.

He stared at his rival in surprise. Half an hour ago, Kakashi had been fighting to keep himself from jumping straight out the window just for the exercise. But now…

His Chakra flow was still pounding ridiculously fast; he could feel it. But Gai had somehow, inexplicably managed to calm him so his instincts stopped jumping on the bandwagon with his Chakra flow and following along with them. It was still a little hard to focus and keep his breathing calm, but Gai had managed to ease his restlessness into something controllable.

"Maa, Gai…" he muttered, effectively cutting off his rival's tirade. He scratched at his hair in amazement, then curved his eye into a smile. "Either I'm about to pass out again, or you actually helped. Thank you."

Gai's dark eyes widened in surprise, then pleasure. He clapped a steady a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and beamed, smile so bright it hurt to look at. "Of course, my eternal rival! It is my duty to help you in your time of need! Whatever it is you require."

Kakashi frowned at that, wanting to speak up and say that he didn't actually _need_ Gai's help. But he wasn't given the chance to.

Gai caught his rival. Kakashi just abruptly dropped like a stone and he barely stopped him from hitting the floor in time, but when the moment of action was over, Gai looked fondly down at the man slumped in his arms. "Whatever you need, Kakashi," he repeated, softer this time, voice less energetic and flamboyant. He pulled the copy ninja back over to his bed with excessive gentleness, or at least, what passed as excessive gentleness for Gai, and deposited the limp form down on it with a soft thump.

It crossed his mind, then, that if he was willing to do anything for his rival, than he should at least be willing make the promise that Kakashi seemed so desperate to receive.

Looking down at his slumbering rival, though, Gai pursed his lips and shook his head. Making such a promise was wrong, not until he knew why Kakashi needed it so completely. Then, and only then, would Gai agree to challenge Kakashi to outlive him.

Because Gai was firmly determined that Kakashi would outlive him, not the other way around. And the idea of turning this into a challenge almost made him feel sick; this was one thing he didn't want to compete with Kakashi on. Winning such a challenge would be the definition of torture.

With a heavy sigh, Gai closed his eyes and relaxed his stance so his hand fell that it hit against Kakashi's hair. It was coarse and rough, smelling faintly of bland hospital shampoo rather than Kakashi's usual scent of coconut. The limp strands sifted through Gai's fingers, looking unusually pale against his tan skin, before Gai let his hand fall against the pillow and away from disobedient silver hair. Kakashi looked calm in his forced sleep, peaceful, as if the nightmares that Gai knew often plagued him couldn't touch him here.

It was a bit ironic, since whatever it was Itachi had done to him was clear to be joining the things that kept his rival up at night, unable to feel safe enough to sleep. But, for now, at least, the coma kept Kakashi safe from all the nightmares.

Gai hoped, anyway.

Well, whatever Itachi had done to him, he was determined to find out. Kakashi was getting no promise or challenge until Gai knew why he needed it so badly.


	4. Chapter 4

This was all proofread and everything, and then we just spontaneously lost power before I could save. No storm or bad weather or anything. Hmph. Well, here it is, finally :D Thank you for reviewing!

* * *

Gai was actually fast asleep when Kakashi woke again. Long nights spent worrying about Lee and his condition, long missions he was forced to take with the village in this disastrous state, and then, Kakashi- it was all almost too much. His face was buried in Kakashi's sheets, one long arm draped across the width of the bed, mouth half open. He looked almost comical- even more so when Kakashi's rough hand on his shoulder woke him up flailing.

Gai crashed to the ground in a pile of limbs, but Kakashi didn't spare him a single glance. He just looked nervously around the room, both eyes open and narrow, and the shock of seeing him conscious was enough to keep Gai on the ground. "What's going on, Gai?" Kakashi asked shortly, then tensed. "Where are we?"

Gai watched him carefully. He left Kakashi's hand where it was but glanced around the room as well; there was nothing out of the ordinary that he could see. "What do you mean, rival? You know where we are."

"No, no." Kakashi shook his head again before taking his hand back to pace anxiously around the small room. "This isn't Konoha. I can tell. It doesn't smell like it. The enemy just wants us to think that we're safe."

Gai frowned. This wasn't like before, when Kakashi was so restless he couldn't sit still. He was clear on edge, but… "What enemy, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shook his head again. "I don't know. I can tell he's near by, though."

"My rival, you just woke up, you're simply confused-"

"No! I know what's going on, Gai. I can tell there is an enemy close by."

Gai watched cautiously as his rival flattened his back up against the wall, hand searching for a missing weapon's pouch. He flared his Chakra to get a medic's attention without having to leave the room, then stepped slowly forward to Kakashi's side. "My eternal rival, this is simply part of Itachi's genjutsu's effects. There's no enemy-"

Kakashi cut him off. "I know my body and I know that this isn't anything to do with Tsukuyomi. Hand me a kunai."

Against his better judgement, Gai did as Kakashi asked. The silver-haired jounin let the comfortable weight rest against his hand, both eyes darting around the room in search of whoever or whatever he thought was there. After a moment of fruitless searching, he glanced at Gai. "If it's Itachi, I want you to run, Gai. Okay? You don't stand a chance against him, not with his eyes-"

"Neither do you, Kakashi!"

"That doesn't matter. I can hold him back for long enough for you to get away; that's all that's important."

Gai took a moment to step back and stop getting sucked into the delusion, because there was no point about arguing over Itachi when the Uchiha wasn't coming. He gave a careful nod, then a worried glance at the door. Kurenai had better hurry up.

"What? You heard someone outside?" Kakashi crossed the room to guard the door, pressing his ear up against it and sniffing the air before he shuddered. "Damn it. The air's too clean; not natural. The enemy did something to it, or maybe when we're in a lab? Yes. Orochimaru, perhaps."

Where the hell was Kurenai? Gai was torn between playing around and trying to talk Kakashi out of this, to convince him he was in Konoha. He fumbled along, but his heart wasn't it. "Listen, Kakashi, I know you think we're being attacked, but we're really not-"

"Gai, you either help me fight, or shut up and stay back. I know that an enemy is here; something's not right."

"You're just smelling the hospital," Gai pleaded, but Kakashi wasn't having it.

"I know what the hospital smells like but something is telling me that this is not right."

Gai opened his mouth to reply, then stopped when the silver-haired jounin abruptly stiffened, sniffing through his mask again. His mismatched eyes widened, and then he shifted, tightening one hand on the kunai while the other formed a fist. "Gai!" he called softly, kneeling in a crouch, ready to pounce. "Gai, get ready. Someone's coming; a bunch of someones, three or four, they're approaching fast."

Gai stared in alarm. "Wait! Kakashi, no! They're not-"

It was too late.

Kurenai, Asuma, and two medics all barged into the room at once, expecting to find Gai and a troublesome patient. What they got was Gai and an ex-ANBU captain ready and waiting for a fight.

Kakashi was upon them before they had time to react. The two medics were low level shinobi, chuunin, and were taken out instantly. One's skull cracked against the wall while the other was bleeding dangerously from a wound in the shoulder, a dark gash that had cut down to the artery. Asuma and Kurenai had held their own, but only just- Kakashi could take either one of them any day and win, and he had jumped on them unawares. It was only with Gai's help they managed to escape unscathed, leaving the three jounin all crouched across the destroyed hospital room from the panicked Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" Gai yelled, trying to get him to snap out of it. "Kakashi, focus! You're in Konoha! Okay, there's no enemy here! They're just medic-nins, Kakashi!"

Kakashi shook his head, whipping it back and forth in a tense motion as he examined his new opponents. "Gai, get away from them! That's not Asuma or Kurenai!"

"What are you talking about, Kakashi? Of course we're us!"

Kakashi glared at Asuma, and Gai tried to approach him, tried to say something, but the situation only got worse. Two more medics dashed into the room, as if they thought approaching a psychotic jounin was a good idea, and Kakashi just lost it.

One of the medics, probably another chuunin, was sent tumbling head over heels right back into the hallway. The other was a bit more skilled and weathered the attacks, and once Kakashi found that he was faced with three opponents instead of two, he pulled out all the stops. With one hand, he grabbed an unresisting Gai by the front of his jumpsuit and pulled him back behind him- the other sparked with lightening.

_"Chidori!"_

Kurenai's red eyes went wide, and the pale light had just began to blind her when the attack fizzled out. Kakashi's hand was less than an inch away from her chest. His mismatched eyes stared in shock, and then the genjutsu user was flattened back against the wall, Kakashi's hand wrapped around her throat. "What did you do to me?!" he hissed, squeezing tighter. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

Asuma and the medic yanked Kakashi back, leaving Kurenai gasping and Gai still frozen. They managed to pin a struggling Kakashi to the bed, fighting with all of their strength to keep him down even as Asuma yelled for Kurenai's help. Shaken, the woman moved forward, and then Gai snapped out of it too. He rushed forward to help the others, trying to get Kakashi to look at him even as the genjutsu user straddled Kakashi, pressing her hands firmly against his Chakra coils and closing her eyes.

"_Kakashi!"_ Gai yelled when lightening sparked on his fingertips yet again. "_Rival!_ Focus! They're not the enemy!"

"Gai, can't you see?! Why are you helping them?! Can't you see that they're not really Asuma or Kurenai?! Gai!" Kakashi fought and snarled against his captors, straining to free himself, expression wild, one that bespoke of a man who was not totally there.

Kurenai finally slumped down and allowed herself to be yanked back off the bed, red eyes wide in panic. "His Chakra levels are like he's in battle. You can't calm him down, Gai- his Chakra is making him think he's in a battle."

"Shut up! Don't listen to her, Gai!" Kakashi cried, frantic. "I'm not insane! I know where I am, I know that they're the enemy! Gai, you have to help me! Please!"

Gai looked between Kurenai and Kakashi in a panic. On one hand, Kurenai was obviously right- Kakashi was practically out of his mind by this point; he was simply too attuned to his Chakra, too reliant on instinct. They were only lucky he couldn't control his Chakra well enough to form a Chidori, or they would be in serious trouble. But, on the other hand… Kurenai had said that last time. She had said he wouldn't be able to calm Kakashi down- but then he had.

But Gai didn't think he had a chance at doing that now, not with Asuma, Kurenai, and a medic fighting to pin him down and Kakashi convinced they were the enemy. He wouldn't be able to get through to him like this.

"_Gai! Help me!_"

"Hold him down, Gai, I've got a sedative-"

"No! Get away from me! Gai, do something! He's going to kill me!"

"Gai, focus! Don't listen to him, you know he can't help it-"

Kakashi let out a scream of anger and such a powerful blast of lighting Chakra that the the lights shorted out, hair frizzed up, and the electrical socket flashed with a spark and started smoking. And the humans in the room didn't fare much better. The medic was out for the count, having been thrown back through the air like a rag doll to smash into the wall, a bit of drool coming from his mouth. Kurenai had staggered, and now her hands were burned from where she had been holding onto Kakashi, and Asuma was barely any better than her, and Gai no better than him-

But Kakashi had gotten what he wanted. And that was a chance to escape.

Gai barely managed to tackle Kakashi before he sprinted into the hallway, bringing them both to the floor in a painful lump. Kakashi latched onto the door frame and yanked himself forward just as Asuma grabbed on the back of his shirt, holding him fast. With Kurenai's help, they pulled the fighting copy nin back into his room while Gai slammed the door shut, twisting to guard it and watch his friends fight.

Kakashi had scrambled away to the corner, Sharingan spinning madly, one hand glowing with a tiny aura of white Chakra. Gai gasped. _He shouldn't be able to control his Chakra like this! Not now! _

Couldn't Kakashi pick another time to defy a medic's expectation?

"Gai!" Kakashi snapped, drawing him back to attention. "Believe me! They are not Asuma or Kurenai! Focus, all right? They're not who they say they are!"

"Okay, Kakashi," Asuma said tensely, and Gai stared when he saw the item the Sarutobi was withdrawing from his weapon's pouch. "Fine. If you want to make this difficult, then I'm sorry, but I can't afford to take it easy on you. If I end up slicing you to ribbons, just remember, it's your fault."

"Asuma! Stop! Those could seriously hurt someone!"

The wind user shrugged nonchalantly as one of his Chakra blades began to glow. "Yeah, well, that's kind of the idea."

Kurenai turned helplessly to Gai, who couldn't help but see where Asuma was coming from. Kakashi could seriously hurt them, it was only natural that Asuma try to defend himself. But, damn it, if he could just get those other two out of there so and he Kakashi were alone, Gai was sure he could convince his rival that they weren't under attack. He just had to get Asuma and Kurenai out of there.

"Well, Kakashi?" Asuma asked coolly. "Wind beats your lightening. What now? All we want you to do is stop trying to attack us or level the hospital."

"Hospital? Lab. It's a lab, I knew it."

Asuma frowned but kept silent, Gai tried again to reason with him. "Rival, labs and hospital smell the same, I'm sure! You're safe, there is no enemy!"

Kakashi looked from Gai to his opponent, then just shook his head. "Just get out of here, Gai. Run, save yourself. If you won't help me fight, then at least get out of here before they turn on you, too."

"I'm not going anywhere, Kakashi." Gai sent a frantic glance at Asuma and moved forward, testing how far he could get before Kakashi reacted. "Asuma, Kurenai, just leave- I can get him to calm down, but with you two in here, then it's impossible!"

Asuma shook his head. "Not risking it."

"It's my choice, Asuma- if I want to risk Kakashi hurting me then I can!"

Kakashi remained silent, his eyes darting between his rival and his enemies, the lightening on his hand glowing a bit brighter. He waited for Asuma to make his decision but was clearly still ready to attack, and Gai could only hope that Asuma and Kurenai would leave- because he didn't think he could stop Kakahsi from losing it completely if they insisted on staying.

Finally, Asuma gave a terse nod and took a slow step back, Chakra blade still raised. "If Kakashi takes one step out of the room, Gai, I'm going to assume he's attacking and won't hold back. Be warned."

Gai didn't protest. Asuma was right. If they didn't take Kakashi seriously, then this situation could get very bad, very fast.

Kakashi waited until Asuma, dragging medic's limp body, left, Kurenai on his heels. He crossed to the door and slammed it shut, sticking a chair under the handle for good measure before sending another tense glance around the room. "Good thinking, Gai, getting them out of here. Now, what's the plan?"

Gai frowned. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and speak carefully, because if he wasn't smart about this, Kakashi wouldn't trust him, either. He watched as Kakashi moved to so his back was flat against the wall next to the window, kunai in hand, alert gaze still jumping around the room. After a moment passed in tense silence, Gai cleared his throat and did his best to meet Kakashi's gaze. "My eternal rival- do you trust me?"

Kakashi shot him a look. "What kind of a question is that? If you're going to ask me to leave and trust you to take care of everything, no. That's not happening."

"I wasn't going to ask you to do that. I just want to know- do you trust me?"

Kakashi frowned, but answered nonetheless. "Of course I do. …You know that, Gai. What's your point?"

"If you trust me, you have to believe me, Kakashi- no matter what, right?"

"Gai, we're under attack here! Could you possibly make your point any slower?!"

Gai kept his eyes locked onto Kakashi's, trying to get him to listen and just maybe calm down. "Listen to me, Kakashi. Listen. We've been in battle before together, and you know that I would never lead you astray, rival. Right?"

"_Gai!_"

Gai continued on patiently, ignoring Kakashi's urgency. "If you believe that I would never lead you astray, then accept that I know what's going on and that no one is attacking. Trust me to keep you safe, my eternal rival."

Kakashi tense countenance relaxed, if only slightly. "We have each others' backs, Gai. We're equals; you're certainly not here as my bodyguard."

Gai shrugged, unconcerned. "Yes, true. But, understand, Kakashi- if you just focus, listen to what I'm saying!- there is no enemy here. I know, I know; you can smell it, you feel that something is off- but it's just your Chakra, eternal rival! Pay attention to its flow; it feels like you're in a battle, that's why you're thinking like this."

Kakashi's head whipped back and forth, silver spikes flopping haphazardly with it. "No… no. If Itachi could get into the village like he did, if he could just sneak in- anything is possible. I know you don't want to believe me, but if it is Itachi, if he is back- promise me, Gai, promise me that if it's Itachi, you'll run."

Itachi. Everything came back to Itachi.

"Kakashi. It has been almost a month since Itachi was in the village. If he were going to come back, he would have done it already!"

"Your logic is a little flawed, considering he waited _seven years_ to come back the first time."

Gai shrugged. "Fine; in seven years, we'll be on the lookout. But, Kakashi, I can promise that Itachi is not here; _there is no enemy!_ Asuma and Kurenai, they really were just here to help. Kurenai even said so, she said your Chakra is just making you think like this. If you trust me, Kakashi…"

The silver-haired jounin hesitated. His gaze moved slowly, jerkily around the room, the hand holding the kunai lowering slightly. Encouraged, Gai continued on. "Kakashi, think about it. You're own actions say it's true, even if you won't. You wouldn't trust the media, even Asuma and Kurenai- but you trusted that I was real, that I was on your side. Kakashi… even when I fought with Asuma and Kurenai against you…"

Kakashi moved even slower now. His hold on the kunai loosened, and his fast breaths calmed. Gai took a chance and calmly stepped forward, focusing on his rival's masked expression. It didn't waver in the slightest, not when he reached out towards him, not when his hand slowly guided the kunai down, not when Gai actually eased the weapon from Kakashi's hand.

It was when the kunai had been put away in Gai's weapon's pouch that Kakashi slumped back against the wall, lone eye closing in relief. He let out a heavy sigh, the tension in his stiff form disappearing, and Gai released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His rival's breaths were still a little unsteady and he seemed to be fighting the urge to reach out and take the weapon back, but at least he was fighting the urge and not letting it control him.

"Maa, Gai… when this is over… _please_ don't tell anyone that you kept your cool better than I did. My reputation would be irrevocably harmed."

Gai took a moment to just stare at him in disbelief, but when Kakashi's offhand comment registered and proved, once and for all, that his rival was truly calm, he smiled- one of his trademark sparkly smiles that made every dentist envious. He beamed, and Kakashi actually shielded his eye from the brilliance and took a small step back.

"Gai, that is definitely over the top."

"Kakashi, _nothing _is over the top when it comes to our rivalry!"

"Really?" Kakashi deadpanned. "Not even walking around the village five hundred times on your hands because you lost at rock paper scissors?"

Gai shook his head confidently. "Absolutely not! I promised myself that is what I would do if I lost! It would be most shameful to not follow through on my oath!"

With another shake of his head, Kakashi moved to pace restlessly around the room. "You're completely insane. Even more than I am."

"Then that is fitting, for I am your eternal rival!"

"…How many times were you dropped on your head as a child, exactly?"

Gai let the comment pass, mostly because Kakashi said it with a warm eye crinkle, and just watched as Kakashi looked about the small room once more before sighing. "Honestly… how much longer until Naruto gets back with Tsunade? I'm getting sick of this place."

Gai stayed silent at that. He didn't bother pointing out he had really endured much more of the hospital than Kakashi had at this point, considering the fact that the silver-haired jounin spent most days well and truly unconscious. He just shrugged uselessly. A month did seem a bit excessive for Jiraiya and Naruto to search for Tsunade, but what was he supposed to say? He had no idea what those two were doing, where they were, or how close they were to finding the Toad Princess.

He could only hope they returned soon.

Kakashi paused for another moment, and when he spoke, his voice was carefully controlled and unemotional. "Ne, Gai. Earlier- when I talked about Itachi returning… you know, there is a chance that he may. He's going to want to know how I found out about their organization. If that happens…" The silver-haired jounin trailed off and shrugged self-explanatorily, but it wasn't self-explanatory at all, not to Gai.

He narrowed his eyes and glared at Kakashi. "If that happens, _what_, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shrugged again. "I don't expect you to fight him or come after me. You and the others are not a match for him- he'd only just kill you. Maybe use Tsukuyomi if he was in a playful mood. I won't let either happen. Maybe I'm not strong enough to kill Itachi, but I can tell you to leave him alone. If you don't approach him, then I don't think he'll fight you."

"I don't know who you take us for, Kakashi, but you are not the only ninja in Konoha willing to sacrifice himself for their friends-"

"_No!_"

Kakashi's sudden exclamation was so loud it would've made a civilian jump. Gai just watched as his rival twisted to face him, grey eye wide and earnest. "Absolutely not, Gai. I won't allow it."

"You won't _allow_ it?" Gai asked incredulously. "You don't have the authority to order me to do anything. And how many times have you defied orders and gone back to save a teammate?"

"That was different!" Kakashi protested furiously. "You guys don't have a _chance_ against Itachi! I won't let him kill you, I won't! You're one of the only people I have left, Gai, and if he kills you- just promise me that you won't fight him, I don't care what he does, promise me you won't fight him! Not for me or anybody el-"

"No! No, I will not promise that! You know me better than that! 'A ninja who abandons his friends is worse than trash', _right?!_"

"I'd rather you be worse than trash than dead!"

The two stared at each other, Kakashi's eye wide in earnest and Gai's in disbelief. In that moment, Gai just wanted to grab Kakashi by the shoulders and shake him, hard, shake him right out of whatever this craziness was.

"I'm sorry, Gai," Kakashi muttered after a moment, never once breaking eye contact. "I know it's selfish of me and I don't care. I'd rather have you alive and worse than trash than have you dead."

The tense moment was broken a few stunned seconds later by Kakashi's eyes suddenly rolling into the back of his head, body dropping like a stone. Gai was ninety percent sure he was relieved when he stopped Kakashi from cracking his skull open, because he honestly had no idea to continue this discussion, not without hitting Kakashi to knock some sense into him.


	5. Chapter 5

Well... I know it's kind of sudden, but, final chapter. Would you believe it took me three and a half months to actually write all of this? Well, thank you all for reviewing and hope you enjoy!

* * *

Gai was there when help finally did come. He was there to watch Kakashi open his eye and sit upright, half-lidded gaze barely aware and boneless form exhausted. The silver-haired jounin nodded numbly and whispered an apology, voice rough with disuse- and then Gai pulled the soon-to-be-Hokage away, because Kakashi wasn't the only one who needed her help.

When he returned, hours after listening to her disastrous prognosis for Lee and talking with his student after, Kakashi was gone. All that was left behind was a very irate nurse and an open window.

It wasn't very hard for Gai to think of where his rival was.

* * *

"Can't stay away, can you?"

"I could say the same to you, actually. You don't seem to have left my side."

Gai frowned and said nothing.

Kakashi sighed, then slowly turned from the memorial stone to look at him. "Well? What did Tsunade say about Lee?"

Gai's frown deepened, and Kakashi's covered features shifted almost imperceptibly. "I see. …I suppose that it couldn't have been avoided. Gaara-kun is a Jinchuuriki, after all, Gai. No amount of training, on your part, could have prepared Lee to face him."

"Your student won against Gaara."

Kakashi shrugged, turning back to look at the slab of names before him. "One Jincuuriki to another. Apparently, it was technically Gamabunta and a little of Kyuubi's Chakra that won. And that was hardly Gaara at that point; that was Shukaku. …Though I can't deny that Naruto has grown. He got through to Gaara, in the end."

Gai remained silent. He wanted to say that he didn't care how strong Gaara or Naruto was, that all he cared about was the fact that Lee wasn't going to get better. But the words stayed stuck in his throat and he found himself just staring at his rival's back, a vague sense of unease in the air. They stayed sill for another few moments, and then the silver haired jounin turned away, hands in his pockets. "I'm off to train. See you around, Gai."

"You've been practically comatose for a month. Shouldn't you at least take a day before-"

"Never thought I'd see the day when you advocate rest instead of training."

Gai shook his head slowly. Kakashi sometimes almost didn't seem worth the headaches he caused. "Rival…"

Still without turning around, the silver-haired jounin gestured vaguely back towards Konoha, then dropped his hand back into his pocket. "Things are happening, Gai. Oto is arming itself, Suna has lost a Kage and an invasion, and who knows what the other three great hidden villages are doing. And then there is the Akatsuki. …A war could happen again. I can't afford to waste time like I did in the past. I thought I wouldn't have to do this, but with Itachi after Naruto and probably Sasuke too… it can't be helped."

"What can't be helped?"

This time, Kakashi did turn to face him, albeit slowly. He paused, then reached up to tap the metal plate obscuring the Sharingan from view. "Itachi had- has- Mangekyou Sharingan. The eyes that Sasuke probably wants, now. …You get them from killing your best friend, Gai." His lone charcoal eye wondered over to the memorial stone before looking back to him.

It took Gai a moment to get it, but when he understood, it took a lot of effort to keep himself in control. "Rin?" he asked quietly, and Kakashi just nodded.

"…How long have you known?"

"That I had these eyes? I knew after it happened, Gai. It was a bit obvious, when I returned from the mission and the Uchiha clan head went even crazier than when I had first got the eye in the first place. I knew something had happened, and when Uchiha kept spontaneously being assigned to missions with me afterwards, it just got even more clear. I did some spying of my own. Uncovered a few secrets… discovered I had unlocked Mangekyou." Kakashi gave a morose shrug and fingered the edge of his headband, as if he wanted to pull it up. "Didn't matter; I never wanted to use it. The Uchiha didn't have to keep an eye on me; I wasn't planning on ever training with it. But I can't fight Itachi without it, and I'm not letting any one of you fight him for me. The only way to beat a Sharingan user is with a Sharingan, after all."

Kakashi didn't stand there and wait for Gai to reply. He simply pushed his hitai-ate up and walked away, moving at his usual slow, unhurried pace. Even so, he was almost out of earshot when Gai called out to him.

"What about teamwork, then? Ever thought of fighting him together?"

The words stopped Kakashi in his tracks. The jounin remained still, then spoke slow and coldly. "I thought I told you that wasn't going to happen."

"And I'm telling you now that I won't accept that."

Kakashi stiffened.

Gai continued on, allowing himself to get angry now. "Either I'm weak and would just be a liability, or Konoha needs me elsewhere. Those are the only two reasons for me to sit out of a fight. _Neither_ are true! I'm not going to let you fight Itachi yourself just because you have this idea in your head that I'll get myself killed. I'm not weak and Itachi is not your responsibility alone. He's an enemy of Konoha and you're my fr- rival, Kakashi. If you're in this, we're _both_ in this."

"..I already told you why I didn't want you fighting him. Don't make me repeat it again."

Gai just stared at him, daring and stubborn. If Kakashi wanted to fight him on this, then he was going to fight back. If there was one thing Gai was, he was loyal, and he was not going to let Kakashi do this alone. They were eternal rivals… for better or for worse.

Kakashi shifted awkwardly, voice clearly uncomfortable. "I already told you I'm being selfish about this, Gai! I know you're strong, I know you could help, but I don't want to take the risk. Itachi is just…" Kakashi shook his head and trailed off into silence.

"You don't want me there because you couldn't handle it if I died. I know, Kakashi. But I _have_ to help you in this- for the same reason. You and my students… I could not handle it if _you_ died. I won't let that happen, not while I'm still strong enough. Lee and Neji and Tenten will surpass me someday, but we are eternal rivals. As long as that is still true, then we can fight for each other. We can protect each other. That's what being friends means. You help each other. I can not let you go off alone and die, not when I can go with you and help you live. To let you die then would be the greatest shame, and I will not allow myself to experience it."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, grey eye narrowing. "…You called me your friend. You've never said that before."

Gai's eyes widened in surprise. _That's what being friends means._

Oh. So he had.

He cleared his throat and beamed. "Well, perhaps we can be both- rivals and friends."

Kakashi just stared at him.

It occurred to Gai faintly that Kakashi perhaps did not know what to say. He didn't have many friends, after all.

So Gai continued to smile and went on, gesturing broadly. "That means that I don't let you go off and do something by yourself when I can help you. I don't care if the fight is dangerous. I couldn't live with myself if you got killed when I could've been there to help. After all, we are shinobi- what is danger but a challenge to overcome?"

"…Aah, I suppose so…"

"Besides." Gai threw out a thumbs up, and Kakashi shielded his eyes a bit from the brilliance of his smile. "We are eternal rivals, Kakashi. For better or for worse."

The silver-haired jounin shuddered at that, but it was with an eye smile. "Don't say that, Gai. It makes it sound like we're married. The rumors are already bad enough; do you want them to get even worse?"

"Let people talk. They will say what they want to; what they think is not important."

Kakashi blinked, then just shook his head and turned away again. "Whatever. Ja ne-"

"I don't think so. We didn't come to an agreement, my eternal rival!"

"Maa, we didn't?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side, scratching the back of his neck. "I could've sworn…"

"No, we didn't, and I won't let you talk your way out of this."

The silver-haired jounin heaved a might sigh. "Stubborn. As always. Gai, Itachi's not here, so let's just not talk about this until it becomes relevant."

"Procrastination may suit you, rival, but it does not suit me. Whatever you say to me now, in any case; it won't change my intentions- I will not let you fight your battles alone. A rivalry is more than incessant challenges of supremacy and superiority, Kakashi. Besides… you, of all people, should understand why I want to fight for my friend. You're the one who would rather give or do anything before you betray your friends."

"…"

'How can you ask me to do something that you could never do yourself? If you would never do this to me, how can you expect me to do it to you? I won't, Kakashi-"

"Maa, Gai-"

"-I won't let you go off as usual and take on a fight this dangerous alone because you don't want to have anyone else get hurt. I don't want _you_ to get hurt or _killed_, it's not just you who feels that way-"

"Gai, come on, now-"

"-and I'm not going to die! Forget about what Itachi said, forget about him entirely! No enemy has bested us when we're together yet, and that's not going to change anytime soon-"

"_Gai!_"

Kakashi finally yelling at him ended Gai's tirade. He stopped abruptly, almost surprised at how quickly this had escalated, then swallowed and took a few deep breaths. Getting angry wasn't going to solve anything.

Before Gai could talk again, Kakashi spoke up. His voice was slow and careful, eye darting to look anywhere but at him. "It's fine. I… understand that I won't be able to get you to do this. As much as I hate you for it… you're too stubborn and loyal for your own good."

The hurt and fear hidden in Kakashi's eye spoke volumes, though, no matter how much his steady voice and bland shrug tried to say otherwise.

Gai continued to stay silent, trying to think of how best to proceed. No matter how much he wished he could change it, he knew that Kakashi was always going to worry. All jounin did, all had the natural inclination to fear when their friends were sent on a dangerous mission that they weren't going to come back. It was only to be expected. But Kakashi had seen his friends die in the worst ways, watched them give their lives up for others and the village without a second thought. He had watched his father bleed out on the floor with a smile on his face. Kakashi had every reason to fear that one of the few he had left was going to leave one day and not come back, every reason to cling on and try to stop that from happening.

He distantly remembered Kakashi's challenge to him, almost over a month previously.

_I challenge you to outlive me. _

Gai still didn't want to challenge him on that. Didn't want to see their lives end up as nothing more than a measuring stick for a rivalry.

But Kakashi would not- could not- be content with how things were now.

Gai hated to compromise. It was all or nothing- usually all- but, for Kakashi, he thought he could make an exception. He seemed to make most of his exceptions for Kakashi, anyway.

"I accept," he said abruptly.

Kakashi frowned, confusion dull in his eye. "…Hmm?"

"I accept your challenge. To outlive me. I'll try to outlive you, and you'll try to outlive me. But only if you agree that you won't do any of this alone. Otherwise…" he trailed off and shrugged, watching as Kakashi's expression shifted in surprise.

The jounin just stood there, then seemed to understand. "I suppose… that this is the best I'm going to get?"

Gai's answering smile was so bright he could see it reflect off the metal of Kakashi's hitai-ate, and the man slowly curved his eye up in return.

"…I'll take what I can get, then."

They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, before Kakashi suddenly turned his back and waved over his shoulder. He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable, and began to move away again. "Maa, I'll be going, then. Things to do, training to start…"

"And just what training are you going to do? Is there some sort of guideline on how to awaken the Mangekyou?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Nope. That's why I'm just going to wing it. See what happens."

"Well, then I am coming with you! If what you need is someone to guide your training, then I am here for you, Kakashi!"

"Maa, Gai, that is completely unnecessary-"

"Come, my rival! There is no time to waste!"

Kakashi sighed loudly, even as he allowed Gai to join him. "Sometimes, Gai, you are really annoying." But it was said through his trademark mask smile, and Gai decided not to let it bother him. After all, Kakashi may be greatly lacking in social skills, but they were still eternal rivals- as much as Kakashi vexed him, that was the truth, and Gai wasn't going to let anything change that. Not Itachi, not the threat of death, and not even Kakashi himself.


End file.
